Remembrance
by RachelItIs
Summary: "You don't remember? How unfair." Not unfair to him. Unfair to her.
1. Chapter 1

_Wrote this a month or so ago. Have most of the second chapter done. Pretty excited for a Rei/Jade story. It shouldn't be too long. Just a handful of chapters. Dunno how this beat out all the others I've started/planning. I found the file and wanted it ha._

* * *

He wasn't completely sure what had drawn his attention. She hadn't been doing anything particularly interesting. When he'd turned, she was debating between different boxes of chocolates, as though it were the most important decision of her life. Her lips were pursed, her violet eyes narrowed. Finally, she grabbed one off the shelf and dropped it in her basket, flipping her raven hair over her shoulder.

His breath caught; she was gorgeous.

He assumed this is what had attracted his attention. By the looks of others around them, it had attracted the attention of many; jealous women, wanting men, admiring children. She was a goddess among them.

He felt a twinge of jealousy that others had noticed.

His head ducked, ashamed of having that kind of feeling over a complete stranger.

He peaked back up through his eyelashes, wanting to catch one more secret glance before she disappeared out of his life. Probably forever. However, as his blue eyes fell upon the violet, his head snapped up. They were narrowed again, though this time in annoyance rather than concentration. He took an unwarranted, or so he thought, step backwards.

The hardly contained fury on the beautiful woman's face had attracted even more attention and, being the object of her anger, so had he. She took a slow step forward, deadly intent sounding off from the click of her heels. He would have taken another step backwards if he could.

Each step seemed to spell out his demise, though he wasn't sure why. He hadn't thought he'd been leering. He'd found her beautiful, worthy of a second glance, but he hadn't had any ulterior motive. Her face made him think otherwise.

She stopped with less than a foot between them. His heart sped, now because of something other than fear for his life.

"Jadeite."

The stone? No, a name. Someone's name. Something tugged in the back of his mind, a dam wanting to break. It should mean something to him. It didn't.

"Jacob," he responded as though solidifying what he already knew: his own name.

She leaned forward, studying his face. Her scent wafted over him; lavender. And, something else, something slightly smoky. Something familiar? Something that had excited him once before.

It was like when he was young and would go camping, then a few weeks later pull on a jacket and the scent of the fire would surround him, remind him of past.

It made his stomach dance.

He leaned away, uncomfortable with the confusion her proximity was causing him. He'd certainly remember meeting someone like her in his life. Even if there was plenty else that he'd forgotten.

She leaned back, her eyes opening and her expression becoming understanding, "You don't remember."

He didn't. There was something there, where there shouldn't be, in the back of his mind. It told him there was something to remember, something important. He worked through his memories carefully, trying to find a gap, any gap. Before the accident?

"How unfair," she said lowly. She wasn't referring to him. It wasn't unfair to him. It was unfair to her. Why?

He flinched as her hand moved towards him. He was sure she was going to hurt him, though he wasn't sure why. He had no reason to think this woman was violent; though something told him she certainly could be.

But, she wasn't.

Her palm met his cheek and his stomach gave one last violent flop. The tingling in the back of his head stopped, the dam broke.

She stood before him, or he thought it was her. The same raven hair, the same violet eyes, the same scorn in her eyes. Except, there was something different. She radiated even more than she did now; she was ethereal. She _was_ a goddess.

She stood above him, clad in a red gown, her nose in the air and looking down at him through half hooded eyes. Then, she was smiling, her face bright, her eyes shining, in the same red gown as before. Her lips met his and he felt himself blush. And then she was on the ground before him, blood covered and unmoving in a red and white get up that vaguely resembled a sailor school uniform. He felt the weakness in his own muscles, the strain of the battle.

Suddenly, she was before him again. Human, her outfit nothing more than a pair of jeans and an overstuffed coat. Her hand was pulling away from his face and with it the memories were slipping back into their box. Safe, out of sight.

His eyes gazed into hers for a second, taking in the hate, the scorn, the envy. The hurt?

His stomach gave one final lurch and he knew it couldn't be ignored any longer. He dropped his basket and pushed past her without another glance. He hurried from the building, finding the closest alley to empty his stomach.

After several minutes, he stood up and pressed one hand to his head and the other gripped at his stomach. He wasn't sure what was worse: the pounding in his head or the rolling in his stomach.

He stood that way for several minutes until both had passed, trying to piece together what had happened the entire time. He'd been in the store and he'd been fine. That woman had approached him, called him Jadeite and touched him. Suddenly, he was wheeling away from her and she was looking at him in a way he wasn't likely to ever forget.

When he could finally manage it, he walked- more stumbled- from the alley way and towards his home. It was a miracle he didn't get stopped for intoxication.


	2. Chapter 2

"I'm sorry, Jacob, but I'm just not seeing anything in your tests that would explain what had happened. What were you doing? It could have been stress related."

Jacob glared at the doctor, almost daring him to leave it at that. What had happened was _not_ normal and there was no way that it was brought on by a woman merely touching him. He may not have been with any women since the accident, but he highly doubted he'd fallen that far.

"I told you I was at the grocery store," Jacob almost growled, running a hand through his already mused blonde hair.

"You were just standing in the store? No one approached?"

"No. Well, yes. A woman approached me. She thought she knew me but, obviously, I didn't remember her. Memory loss or not, you wouldn't forget a woman like that."

The doctor almost sighed and ran hand over his thinning hair, "I'm going to recommend, again, that you start seeing a counselor."

"I don't _need_ therapy. I'm doing fine."

"You _seemed_ to be doing fine until this incident. You refused the immediate trauma counseling, which is fine and your own right. But what you went through was a traumatic experience."

Jacob glared and opened his mouth but the doctor held up a hand. He closed his mouth and crossed his arms across his chest, still glaring but letting the doctor talk.

"You woke up out of nowhere, Jacob, and we can only account for four-and-a-half of your last five years. And three of those involved laying in bed with machines keeping you alive and then another six months learning to function again."

"I wasn't that bad," Jacob glowered. He had spent a few days confused but he'd been able to tell the doctors his life story up until six months before they found him. He had taken some time reorienting himself and he awoke with an unknown ability to speak fluent Japanese. But, other than that, he felt being confined to the hospital was more a formality and one that was mostly used to keep tabs on him while they investigated his past.

The last year, however, he'd been plenty successful despite any 'trauma.' Since he had no reason to return to Australia, he'd officially moved to Japan, as there was no previous explanation for how he'd arrived. He'd found work as a, for lack of a better description, lackey for one of the biggest investigative journals in the city. He was fairly convinced he'd gotten the job out of pity but at the time he had no qualms using his predicament for his own good. He'd found a very nice apartment to rent. And, since the day he left the hospital up until the moment he'd seen that woman, he'd been the epitome of good health.

The doctor did sigh this time, "Jacob, I'm only _saying_ some psychological stress wouldn't be unheard of with this situation. The symptoms could very likely have been psychosomatic."

"They sure didn't feel in my head. I think the alley way agrees."

The doctor gave him a blank look, "They happened. They're just caused by mental anguish. Plus, there were a lot of strange sicknesses and comas around the time you disappeared and reappeared. Some of them have groups now. You could see a private counselor or join a group…"

"Now you're really making me sound crazy, _Dr. Kudou_."

Kudou shook his head at the formal title, "Look, Jacob, for whatever reason, you were sent to me and never moved, despite talk of sending to Dr. Mizuno. I took care of you through the coma, the recovery and taken care of your regular check-ups. Hell, I let you spend holidays with my family. I think it's abundantly clear that I care about you by this point. So, would you please just put my mind at ease and see a specialist."

It was Jacob's turned to sigh and he pressed his palms to his eyes, "Fine. Okay, fine, Kenji. Write me a referral for whichever you think will be best."

"I'm writing you a referral to see a friend of mine. He'll be able to decide on the best course of action for you. Thanks for putting an old mind at ease, Jacob," the older doctor gave him a smile.

"Well, I can't keep the closest thing I have to family worrying about me, can I?" Jacob conceded and smiled back.

* * *

One week later, Jacob found himself face to face with one Dr. Yamada, the quick work of his overly concerned friend. The doctor poked and prodded in ways that Jacob was not used to, despite his year and a half recovery time. On occasion, Jacob felt downright insulted by the doctor. But, Kenji had promised that he was the best he knew and Jacob had never had a reason not to believe him.

"You know," the doctor finally set down his pen and leaned forward, as though the end of the session was nearing. Jacob hoped so. The man continued, "There's a group that I help run for this kind of thing. There's actually some surprisingly similar stories to your own. It may not be a bad idea to join that."

Jacob had thought about the idea of group therapy a few times over the last week. He wasn't sure, however, that that's where he saw himself getting the help he needed. And so, he'd been prepared with the answer, "Thank you. But, I think for the time being, I'd prefer private counseling, if any at all."

Dr. Yamada eyed him warily, as though this response didn't surprise him at all and Jacob assumed that it probably didn't. Kenji had surely told him about his reluctance to see a mental health professional.

"Okay," the doctor finally responded. "How about we meet… once a week for a while and see how that goes?"

Jacob very visibly balked at the idea, "How about every other week?"

"It's my professional opinion that weekly meetings would benefit you better."

"Of course it is."

The doctor sighed and picked up his pen to scribble something down on his notepad. He laid his pen down and looked at Jacob, "Okay, twice a month, then. How about Thursday the 10th. Same time."

"Fine," Jacob shrugged.

* * *

Jacob left the meeting feeling more drained than he had when he'd gone in. He'd have to remember to ask Kenji if this is how he was _supposed_ to feel. Because, he certainly wasn't feeling any better and he was fairly sure that therapy was supposed to make you feel better. But, then again, what did he know?

He'd been so consumed in his thoughts that he hadn't even notice her until she'd stepped directly in front of him. And, even then, she'd had to step out of the way with an indignant "Excuse you!" before he took notice.

He'd immediately put a fair amount of distance between them, his hop back rivaling her quick movement out of his path. She raised a thin eye brow and one side of her mouth twitched up.

"Did I scare you?"

He scowled. She hadn't _scared_ him per se. He hadn't been expecting her without a doubt. However, his reaction had been an immediate wish _not_ to repeat the terrible incident from the week before. So, in a way, maybe she _did_ scare him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, instead of giving any sort of answer to her accusation.

The smile slid off her face and she flipped her hair over her shoulder, "I knew you'd have to live around here to use that rinky dink shop. It's not the place you travel miles to visit."

He raised an eyebrow at her this time, "You're stalking me? And I'm the one who has to see a shrink."

"I was _not_ stalking you," she replied, crossing her arms and turning her nose away. She peeked at him from the corner of her eye, a look of curiosity on her face. "A shrink?"

The look was so familiar that Jacob began to feel the back of his head prickle again. He shoved his hands in his pocket and took another small step away, "Maybe."

"Hmm," she regarded him carefully, finally dropping her arms and lowering her gaze. "Anyways, I needed to find you. There's someone I want you to meet."

He let out a sharp bark of laughter, "Seriously? I don't even know _you_. Why would I want to meet anyone you know?"

She tapped her foot, tennis shoes today, "It won't take long, I promise."

It was insane, he knew. And, to be honest, he didn't much want to spend time around this mysterious woman. She intimidated him in ways that didn't only involve their previous meeting. She almost shamed him. The look in her eyes at the end of their last meeting flashed before him.

However, more than any of that, he was curious. He'd been searching for something connected to those six months that he lost. And maybe, just maybe, she did have something to do with it. That, and some of small part of him was leaping at the chance to go with her.

In the end, he nodded, "Okay. Fine, okay. Where to Miss…?"

"Hino. I live in a shrine nearby. I'll show you," she turned from him and began walking without regarding him any farther.

* * *

 _Note: Kay guys. So most of this was written right after the first chapter but it needed tweaking and I got ridiculously busy. But, I hope you enjoy :D_


	3. Chapter 3

_**AN: Sorry about the obnoxiously long wait. My life got a little crazy and it's been hard to find the motivation to write. I hope you enjoy this little bit extra long one.**_

* * *

She didn't seem to care whether or not he kept up with her or that he was even still following. She walked swiftly and he allowed himself to lag behind her several feet, giving himself plenty of time and distance to decide whether or not he was sure about what he was doing.

He wasn't. But he followed her nonetheless.

He watched her as he followed her. His curiosity about the woman may have been an even bigger driving factor than what she might have to do with him. He found himself once again struck with the thought of her being otherworldly. She carried herself straight and with purpose. People seemed to move out of her way naturally as she walked, while he seemed to be bumped and jostled with every step down the busy Tokyo sidewalk.

At one point, he watched her lift her wrist and seem to speak into her wrist watch, short and to the point, and then give a sharp nod of her head before dropping her hand back to her side.

They hadn't walked for long, no more than five minutes, when she stopped at the bottom of a staircase to a shrine and turned towards him, "This is the Hikawa Shrine. I'm the priestess here."

Her eyes narrowed at him a little, as though she were studying him for something. He shifted, "Yeah, I've passed it a few times."

"That's it?"

"Is there more?"

She clicked her tongue, as though his answer weren't satisfactory, "I suppose not."

A caw and a loud, angry sounding click of a beak drew his attention away from the woman in front of him and towards the two black crows seated far above on the shrine's arch. He found himself unable to look away as they seemed to stare at him, size him up. One gave another loud caw and click of its beak and then they both soared down, each landing gently on one of the girl's shoulders.

"This is Phobos and Diemos," she spoke to him, reaching up and gently touching one of the birds. She spoke to it next, "It's okay. I sense nothing."

She started up the stairs without another word, the birds dutifully sitting on her shoulders. He hesitated, suddenly unsure if he were making the right decision in following her. She was certainly much more than just a beautiful woman who had captured his attention, in case he hadn't been sure of that before.

Plus, the shrine had always given him a sick feeling in his stomach every time he'd passed it. It warned him, begged him, to stay away from it. He regretted the very sight of the shrine, though he couldn't say with confidence that he'd ever been up the steps.

As his foot hit the first stair, a voice called out. One somewhat familiar, almost his own. Yet it wasn't.

 _Don't._

"And why not?" he asked aloud, but the voice didn't answer. So, he took a deep breath and steeled himself.

When he reached the top, she was leaning against a tree not far from the stairs with her arms crossed. She cocked her head to the side, "I thought you'd changed your mind."

"I thought about it."

"And, why didn't you?"

He smiled, his eyes scanning her face, "I'm curious."

"You know what they say about curiosity," she replied.

"Planning on killing me?" he tucked his hands in his pocket, his smile still easy.

"Not yet," she replied and he let out a loud laugh. "I'm not joking."

"I know. That makes it even funnier. What in the world am I doing here, Miss Hino?" he asked, moving closer.

She pushed herself off the tree and moved towards one of the doors in the nearby building, "Like I said, I want you to meet someone. Would you like some tea?"

He followed her cautiously; still aware of the crows nestled protectively above the doorway. He wasn't scared of her, regardless of her threats. Plus, he was somehow sure he needed to be here. He needed to be but he shouldn't be.

She didn't speak as she made his tea and she'd just poured it into a cup when the door slid open. Noise immediately filled the small room. He was sure at least a dozen people had to be stampeding in. However, it turned out to only be four and two cats. Most of the noise was being made by the two blondes leading the group.

The first blonde, almost more golden than blonde, stopped whatever conversation she'd been in with the second, almost more silvery if he were being honest, blonde in pigtails and loudly exclaimed, "Oh! It really does look like him."

"Minako, really," the short haired girl, almost invisible by the tall brunette, sighed and shook her head.

He glanced at Rei who quickly made introduction, almost like it were unimportant, and then turned towards the pigtails, Tsukino Usagi, and asked, "Where is he?"

"He'll be here soon, we hope. He was in the middle of an important seminar," she responded, her bright eyes turning from her friend to him and sizing him up, "So, Jacob, an English name, right?"

"Yes, Miss Tsukino, I'm from Australia," he answered. It was the first time he'd spoken since they'd entered the room and he found himself reluctant to do so now.

"Oh," she blushed a deep red, "Please call me Usagi."

"Really," Minako smiled, "You might as well call us all by our first names. We feel like we've know you in another life."

Jacob started, something turning over inside of him again. He had the sudden inclination to run, bolt from the room and not go back.

"Minako," Rei hissed. "I'd _prefer_ to be called by my surname so do not _speak for the rest of us_."

Jacob glanced from the narrowed violet eyes to the wide, mirth filled blue ones. There was a subtext, he was sure. But he couldn't put his finger on what.

 _In another life._

The words started to form in his head again and he shook them away, offering a smile to Rei, "Of course, I'd honor that, Miss Hino."

"Stick in the mud," he heard the blonde mumble but, by the lack of explosive outburst, he assumed the woman in reference had not. He shot a small amused smile to Minako and her grin widened.

"Honestly, you two," Rei sighed, catching the amusement between the two. "We have work to do, Minako. Can't you be serious for five minutes."

"I've been serious since I walked in the door and we _are_ working. I'm assessing him. Ami's assessing him. Luna and Artemis are assessing him. Makoto is sizing him up. You're the only one that's distracted," she flipped her hair over shoulder.

He turned his attention for the first time to the other occupants in the room. The short haired one was leaned over her laptop, typing furiously and glancing at him every now and again. The black cat was leaned over her arm, staring at the screen in more interest than any other nosy cat he'd ever seen. The white cat and the brunette were staring him down in ways that had him shrinking back.

He wasn't sure he liked cats. Or even brunettes at the moment.

The door slid open and he was momentarily relived to see another male human walk through the door. His relief, however, didn't last long. When the two made eye contact, there was a flicker in the man's eyes that had Jacob's stomach plummeting into the floor.

"Mamo-chan!" Usagi perked up immediately, hurrying to his side before he fully got through the doorway. "This is Jacob."

She gave the dark haired man a knowing look and he nodded back at her before turning his attention to the man in question.

"Chiba Mamoru," he held out a hand.

Jacob started to reach forward to shake his hand, but as soon as his hand twitched, the same voice from earlier shot through his head. It was louder this time, more insistent than before.

 _ **Don't let him touch you**_ **.**

Jacob wheeled backwards immediately, putting the entire width of the room between him and the other man. The voice had spoken with so much warning that he found himself obeying without thinking. The memory of how sick he'd felt after Rei had touched him was enough to be sure that this voice knew it would be worse if Mamoru touched him.

The occupants in the room watched him for a few seconds. Mamoru was the first to recover as he let his hand fall to his side and instead offered a smile, "Sorry to drag you here. Rei told us that you reminded her of someone we… used to know. We were all curious."

He glanced over the faces again, "And? I can't say I recognize you, myself?"

"We're almost certain you're him," Ami responded, looking back down at her computer.

Mamoru's eyes creased some, "Absolutely certain."

The women looked his way and Rei asked for the group, "Absolutely? He doesn't remember."

"But he hasn't forgotten," Mamoru responded.

"I have," Jacob interrupted. "I assume if I met you it was 5 years ago, before I was in the hospital."

"Hospital?" Usagi asked with a tilt of her head.

"A coma. For 3 years before he woke up out of nowhere a year and a half ago," Ami looked up from her computer again. "Jacob Kelly, correct? There's no picture of you in here, but it's not a very common name here, clearly."

"You're good," he gave a small smile. "I guess I can't have any secrets from you, then. I suppose, then, it also talks about my retrograde amnesia."

"Only the six months prior to the coma. No damage to the hippocampus found. And, so far, no signs of recovery," she read off.

His smile grew, "Looks like you found your way into my actual medical files."

Their eyes locked, "And more. No evidence about how you got to Japan in the first place."

"And no paper trail once I was here," his smile faded.

"You really don't remember? That time period. That's when…" Makoto trailed off and met the eyes of the others one by one. "When weird things were happening."

"That's what I've told," he drawled.

"Your scan looks normal," Ami finally shut her laptop and shook her head. "I'm forced to believe you don't remember but it's not from the injury."

"Scan?" he glanced dubiously at her laptop. "You scanned me?"

"Of course, my computer is good but my mother can run a better scan. She's a doctor at…" she started rambling, packing away her laptop, not seeming to realize his ever hardening expression until he cut her off.

"Mizuno Ami, right? So your mother is the well-known Dr. Mizuno," he scoffed, the anger he always felt when Kenji talked of the _superior_ doctor returning. "I _have_ a doctor. He's done a more than proficient job. I don't _need_ Dr. Mizuno."

Ami glanced up, allowing her bag to slip from her hands, "I wasn't… I was only…"

"I think I've overstayed my welcome. I've met your friends, Miss Hino. You seem to have come to whatever conclusion you wanted about me and it's obvious that I'm going to be the last to know. So, good day," his face remained stony as he moved from the room, careful not to brush against anyone as he left.

He didn't need them talking about him as though he weren't even there. As though what they might know about him was none of his concern. As though his own doctor, his friend, was far from good enough. He was angry, angrier than he'd felt in a long time.

"Jacob," her voice was low and soothing and he felt some of the anger slip away, despite trying desperately to hold onto it. If anyone else had followed him, he probably wouldn't have stopped.

He sighed and turned around, "Miss Hino."

"She wasn't trying to say anything about your doctor," her hands were on her hips but somehow her stance was neither defensive nor aggressive. "She did want to help."

"I'm honestly not sure that I want help from any of you," he answered, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

"I can't blame you. We haven't exactly been honest," she dropped her arms with a shake of her head. "It's not time yet."

He scoffed despite his fading anger, "What does that even mean?"

"You'll understand eventually. There are things that aren't… easy to explain. You need to remember them yourself," she shrugged, "If you're even meant to."

He stared at her for several minutes before shaking his head, "Fine, fine, I'll trust you. For now. Not them. Just you."

"We're all one, you know. But, if you refuse to trust us all, you can at least trust Mamoru as well."

"I don't know… Maybe Minako."

Rei laughed, the first time he had heard it and he found himself enthralled with it, "Of course, you two would hit it off ag… immediately."

He wanted to question her flailing. She was going to say 'again.' Minako's words ran through his head again, _in a past life._ Instead, he let it sit and shook his head, "Jealous, Miss Hino?"

"Never," she smirked. "I hope to see you again."

"At risk of you stalking me again, I'll come see you tomorrow. And, I might as well tell you where I live," his smile turned teasing.

"It wasn't stalking."

He smiled, "Good evening, Miss Hino."

"Rei."

"Good evening, Rei."

"Good evening, Jacob."


	4. Chapter 4

"You came back," her smile was slight, barely a lift of the corner of her mouth.

Jacob pushed his hands into his pocket and smiled, trying to hide his nerves, "I did promise."

He was quite tempted, once again, not to come. He wasn't sure that it was a good idea to continue seeing this woman, especially after this place and specifically with her friends, after the warnings he'd received. He'd wanted to chalk them up to his _fragile mental state_. But, he knew it was more than that. He knew that voice. He understood the voice.

Even more so, he'd had nightmares last night. He couldn't remember details, only waking in a swear with the smell of fire and death still burning his nostrils.

That was actually enough to convince him that he needed to visit her more, not less. He'd debated on telling Kenji or the damned therapist he'd been sent to, but he knew what both would say. He was sure there was more to this than his nerves, PTSD from awakening to find years of his life gone.

"I knew you would," she stated, lifting her chin in a way that reminded him of his first thoughts of her. A Goddess. Royalty. It was familiar.

He smirked, his confidence growing around her with ease, "And, how would you know that? I wasn't even sure until I found myself up the stairs."

"You promised," she repeated his words and her eyes flashed sad for a second. "You've always kept your promises, unless something was very wrong."

The sadness was gone as fast as it had appeared, covered easily by a distant, almost cold look that seemed at home in her features. Before he could mention it, she turned and grabbed an extra nearby broom, holding it out towards him, "Well, you're here. You might as well be useful."

He took the broom and began sweeping nearby, watching her covertly as she put her full attention into her task. The silence was easy, companionable, despite the look he'd seen and the inner turmoil it was causing. His stomach was turning again, much like it had that first day.

"So," he finally stopped sweeping and turned towards her, "You do me, then?"

She didn't stop or look at him, "Yes."

"Rei," at the sound of her name, she stopped and faced him. The mask in place. He searched for any crack as he questioned, "Who am I? Or, who is Jadeite? That's who you think me. Are you sure?"

She hesitated much longer than he would expect before finally nodding, "We're sure."

"Who was he?"

Her jaw twitched and she averted her eyes, "A friend."

"Do you always look at your friends with such anger, despair and betrayal?"

She returned to her sweeping and Jacob returned to his as well, resigning himself not to have an answer. Whoever she thought him, it was clear he wasn't just a friend. The fury he'd seen in her at their first meeting; the pain as she pulled away from him.

 _You don't remember? How unfair._

He didn't remember and he was growing more and more confident that he didn't want to. He wouldn't want to. He was drawn to this woman, her beauty and her disposition. She was a force to be reckoned with, he was sure. A part of him wanted to find out exactly how great of a force she was. He wanted to tease her, rile her up.

"You broke a promise," her voice came suddenly and he jerked to face her.

"He," he stated resolutely. He wasn't ready to admit he was the same as this Jadeite, who caused so much anguish in the woman before him.

"He…" she said slowly, as though not wanting to refer to Jacob and Jadeite as separate people.

"What promise?"

She stared at him again, long and hard. He stared back, unwilling to back down.

"He didn't come back."

"And, if I'm him? If he's… I'm… we're back now?"

The indifference in her composure slipped and she offered him a sad, cold smile, "It's a lifetime too late undo."

He felt an ice fist grasp his stomach and squeeze, twist, making him want to get sick all over again. He wasn't sure why, but the thought of it being too late, that whatever had happened to her couldn't be fixed, filled him with a mixture of agony and anger. And fear.

"Then why do you want to find him so bad? If it's unforgivable, why are you working so hard to find him in me?" he asked, the grip on his broom tightening.

"Because, we're not ready to let go. Finding you means we could find the others. And, everyone would benefit from that in some ways. Especially Mamoru," she started to move away.

"And if I'm not him? What then? If I turn out to be nobody, would I be easily dismissed by you?" he called, afraid of her answer.

"I hope we don't have to find out. I already don't know if I'm capable of making that kind of choice," she half faced him again, her eyes wondering over him until the locked with his. "Even if you're not him, you're a magnetic person, Jacob. It makes it even harder for me to believe you might not be. I'd never felt so irrevocably drawn to any other man. Nor had any inclination to allow them to get close to me."

Relief flooded through him, even as she turned again to head into the room with the large, smoking chimney, a prayer room her recognized. He wouldn't be allowed in there, he knew. It was sacred.

He called out one last time, "Can I come again?"

This time, her smile was large, welcoming when she turned around. He felt his breath leave him.

"There's a lot of work to do at a shrine and my Grandfather has gotten too hold to be much help. If you come again, I can certainly put you to more work."

"It's a promise."


	5. Chapter 5

He did come. Just like he promised. He was there nearly every day. By the second week, he wasn't sure if he could stop going. He knew he didn't want to. He learned a new part of her every day as she had him do small, manual work around the shrine. She told him each time she appreciated him being there, even if it was just because he drew crowds of young girls.

He got to know that fiery personality that he'd always known lurked underneath her calm façade. The first person he heard her snap at was the Usagi, the pigtailed blond he'd met the first day. Three days in she'd come and, apparently unsurprisingly, broke something. He'd been surprised when Rei had let loose, demanding that the woman become more responsible before it was time. Time for what he didn't know and Usagi didn't seem to particularly care.

He couldn't wait to go. It was constantly the highlight of his day. He'd even been cutting back on the time he spent at the office, hurrying to the shrine whenever he could. The others would drop in on occasion, and while he always felt happy to see them, they didn't inspire the excitement in him that seeing her did. Except, possibly, Mamoru, whom he still kept his distance from regardless.

Even today, as he sat in his bimonthly meeting with the damned therapist, he was ready to rush towards the shrine. How dare something so useless take up so much of his time! He was sitting sullenly, arms crossed and the doctor was watching him steadily, as though he could read every thought.

"So," Dr. Yamada started, looking up from where he'd already started scribbling some damn therapist notes. "What's changed since the last time I saw you?"

Jacob stared, unsure what to say. What hadn't changed? If he were to be honest, he felt like his entire life had shifted. But, he didn't want to hear he was crazy for his instant attraction to this new group of friends and the voice constantly warning him to _just be careful_.

"I made some friends," he said simply.

"Is that a step for you, Jacob?"

He shrugged in return.

The doctor wrote down another note before continuing, "And where did you meet these friends?"

"I met Rei in the supermarket and she introduced me to her friends," he tapped his foot, looking at his watch.

"Somewhere more important to be?" Dr. Yamada questioned.

"I've been helping at her shrine," Jacob answered easily, trying to relax his posture.

"Is this the same girl from the supermarket where you blacked out?"

Jacob scowled, "Yes."

"You're defensive over that," it was a statement and induced the doctor to write another note, making Jacob scowl even more. When Jacob gave no answer, he continued, "Did you figure out what made you feel ill that day?"

"No."

"Do you know her?"

Jacob hesitated then, "No."

"Anything else about your friends?" he asked.

"No."

Dr. Yamada tapped his pen against his pad a few times before scribbling some more notes, "You're awfully private about them."

"I'm awfully private about a lot of things. I'm honestly just here to make Kenji feel better," his answer was honest.

"I see," the doctor steepled his hands together, giving Jacob a long look. "Would you prefer to talk about the coma? The accident?"

Jacob gave him a silent look and the doctor sighed.

"Right."

-x-

The rest of the meeting passed with little said, most of it spent in a silent stare off. Jacob wasn't sure whether this was to make him uncomfortable enough to talk or rather the doctor was tired of even trying with Jacob. The only thing that made Jacob uncomfortable was the fact that he was, effectively, wasting Kenji's money, as the man had insisted on paying for the therapy sessions.

 _Another two session_ , he thought to himself as he walked out. He'd promised Kenji four sessions before he made up his mind. He could certainly make it through another two. Even if just the thought of the doctor set his skin to crawling.

"Jaaaacoooob!"

He was so caught up in his moping, even he would admit that at the moment he was moping, that he'd not seen the exuberant blonde as he'd exited the building. But, she didn't allow her presence to go unnoticed for too long, a fact that didn't surprise Jacob even with their short acquaintanceship.

As he turned towards her smiling face, he felt himself relax automatically, "Minako."

"Can I walk with you? You're going to Rei's, right? I was just heading that way as well."

He let out a laugh and nodded, "Sure, I could use the company."

She glanced from him to the building he'd walked out and he felt himself grow self-conscious as the heat began to seep from his hairline. She smiled and tilted her head, but didn't comment as she started in the direction of Rei's shrine.

He walked in silence as she hummed, her hands linked behind her back and a certain pep in her step until he could take it no more. She was better at this than the doctor, "You're not going to ask?"

She looked at him from the corner of her eye, "Do you want to answer?"

He didn't respond and she turned her head to give him a full watt smile, "Then what would be the point in asking?"

He found himself wanting to talk to her and scowled, more at himself that her, "Maybe you should be the therapist."

She gave a hearty, fully unladylike laugh, "Oh, I'd love that. I've even started courses. But, I'm not sure there will be time before… Well, before."

"Still not going to tell me what this _before_ is, huh?" he eyed her dubiously.

"It's not time yet. Plus, Rei will kill me if I took the honors," she smirked and he found himself smiling back.

Typically, he'd felt uncomfortable when he knew they were talking about something he didn't understand, wouldn't tell him… Maybe even just didn't want him to know. But this time, he just shook his head.

"Fine with your secrets. I'm sure they'd just be a burden anyways," he joked.

"Terribly burdensome," she responded, and though she said it with a light voice, he caught something of seriousness is her gaze.

They walked in silence for another couple of minutes before she asked, out of nowhere, "So, you're still afraid to touch Rei?"

His blush returned full force, "Who said that?"

Minako raised her eyebrows, "She notices things. We all do. We also noticed you damn near make a hole in the wall to keep away from Mamoru. But, we're not bringing that up."

She winked at the end and he rolled his eyes at her, but didn't respond.

She, however, wasn't discouraged, "So, what happened that first time she touched you?"

He weighed his options. She hadn't asked about the other warnings. The voices and the feelings. The dreams that have continued to plague him in his sleep and elude him while he was awake. She didn't have to know all that to understand why he was reluctant to touch any of them.

He sighed, "I honestly don't really know. One second she was reaching for me and the next, she was pulled her hand away and I was running. I felt like I had to escape. And then, I was heaving up my lunch in the alley with a killer headache. I couldn't remember what had happened when she touched me but I knew time had passed. Probably just a handful of seconds, but I couldn't remember any of them. I hadn't blacked out, had any memory issues besides the retrograde amnesia, since the… whatever happened to me."

She stopped walking and watched him for a few minutes before asking, "And Mamoru?"

He hadn't sensed any judgment as he was telling his story and didn't seem to sense any now as she was looking at him. Still, he found himself saying, "You'll think it's crazy."

She smiled again, one he could tell hinted at her own secrets she was unlikely to share, "I highly doubt that."

He watched her as she patiently waited, once again doing a far better job than his professional therapist. Finally he shook his head, "A voice."

Her eyebrows rose slightly, but she gave no other indication of what she was thinking, "A voice?"

He almost lost his nerve, but he'd feel crazier if he didn't finish, "When I first got to the shrine, a voice demanded, sounded almost pleading, for me not to go up the stairs. It just said _don't_ , as if I were making the largest mistake of my life. But, it was easy to brush aside and ignore."

He paused, eying her carefully, but she gave nothing away. She didn't even speak when he paused, just continued to look at him, a pensive expression on her face.

He rubbed the back of his neck and continued, "When faced with Mamoru the voice returned but it wasn't… It wasn't just pleading. It was urgent, demanding, so loud in my own head. It basically yelled _don't let him touch you._ I found myself obeying without any real thought of my own…"

He trailed off, feeling every bit as crazy as she would surely think him.

However, she simply tilted her head and eyed him, "And this voice is yours?"

"No," he paused. "Well, it sounds like me, I guess. I've never really thought how I sound in my own head but… It's also different. I can't explain but it's just… different."

She nodded, as though she somehow understood, "And, if I touch you?"

He started at the idea, his eyes going wide.

"Oh, just quick try. Just your hand. I sure hope you weren't thinking anything inappropriate, Jacob. Rei would surely kill us both."

He gave her a wry look, "Of course not. I just don't much fancy throwing up in more alleyways."

"I'll hold your hair?" she gave him an innocent look and he found himself relaxing again.

"Quick. But, if I hear any voices, I'm hightailing it out of here," he warned, a bland expression on his face.

Her grin widened, "Oh, don't worry. Me too."

He rolled his eyes again. He hadn't had siblings growing up; hadn't had family at all. But, if he were to imagine sister, he was sure this Minako would fit the role to a T.

When she held her hand between them, palm up, he found himself trusting her, rather than shrinking away. He slowly lifted his hand and let the ends of his fingers meet her.

No voice. No nausea. No black out. She felt comfortable, familiar. He found her touch relaxing, though her presence was nowhere near as exciting as he found Rei's. He'd felt comfortable in her company, happy to see her, but he didn't crave the interaction as he did with Rei.

He frowned and she slowly pulled her hand back, "What is it?"

"Nothing. It was absolutely nothing. Nothing happened," he shook his head and was surprised to see her pout.

"Oh, how mean. Just Mamoru and Rei then. And, here I thought I meant something to you. Fine, fine, I see how it is," she gave him a wink and suddenly turned, continuing the path to the shrine.

He shook his head with a smile and caught up with her. He knew she was talking about another before, a past before rather than a future before. She had meant something to him. And, while it was different than Rei and, likely, Mamoru, he was sure she did. He somehow felt more relaxed in her presence now than he had before.

His own curiosity finally caught up with him, "So, why is it so important that I am this Jadeite to you? You all seemed highly interested."

She stopped suddenly, her head down, and sighed, "I suppose it's only fair you ask."

She seemed to struggle for a moment. It was the first time he'd seen her look so forlorn and he instantly felt guilty for asking. But, he didn't say anything as he watched her.

Finally, she lifted her head and he was almost taken aback by the blank depths of her usually expressive eyes, "There's... There's someone that I'd like to see again."

 _Finding you means we could find the others. And, everyone would benefit from that in some ways._

Rei's voice came back to him, the sentence he had so easily dismissed before because he'd felt it had so little to do with him at the time.

"Who are these others?" he asked cautiously. "Are they like m… Like Jadeite?"

She watched him warily for a moment, almost wearily, "It depends on what Rei told you."

"I want to know from you."

She bit her lip, "It's her choice. That's what we agreed on. Not mine. Not Usagi's. Her's."

He wanted to latch onto her words about herself and Usagi. He'd noticed a dynamic in the group, a certain amount a reverence and deferment outside of their friendship. Side looks and discreet nods from Usagi, Minako and even Mamoru.

"I want to know about you, him. Not about me or… or Rei," he finally managed. "Who was he?"

"A friend," her eyes cast down again. "More. For a while. But he…"

"Didn't come back?"

Her eyes shot to his, a barely contained fury inside, and her face grew hard, "No, he came back."

Somehow, Jacob thought this was worse and chose not to ask, "And his name? If I knew him, I mean, maybe it would help to know his name."

She considered it for a moment before looking away. When she spoke, the fire had left her eyes and her voice was soft, "He was Kunzite."

The name struck him, pulled at something in his mind, much like Jadeite had the first time he'd heard it. A name. Another name that should mean something to him but he couldn't figure out what. Not his name this time. Someone else; someone Minako had loved. Someone, he was somehow sure, that he'd revered.

She didn't look at him, didn't seem to notice his reaction to the name. She just spun her heels and started towards the shrine again at a brisk pace, trying to sound casual as she threw over her shoulder, "We should get back."

He followed behind her at a more leisurely pace until they reached the stairs to the shrine and she mumbled an excuse about not wanting to interrupt his visit. She walked off leaving him feeling a strange mixture of guilt and sorrow.


	6. Chapter 6

"I think I upset Minako."

Rei turned to where he was on a ladder, repainting a shed a short distance from the main shrine. Her eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"On the way here, Minako and I were talking. I think I upset her," he answered, laying down his paintbrush and turning to face her.

"Minako walked here with you?" Rei looked around, as if her friend was going to suddenly materialize.

"Yeah, we met when I was leaving my… meeting. She said she was coming to meet you. She walked here with me before just jetting off without a real reason," he shrugged.

"I was wondering why she wasn't here already," Rei muttered, glancing into the tree where Phobos and Deimos sat. One of the birds, Jacob didn't have the slightest clue which one, gave a high-pitched _caw_ and took flight. "What were you talking about?"

"She told me about Kunzite. Well, she told me as much as anyone has actually told me about anything," the last part came out in pure exasperation.

"Oh," Rei responded, surprise evident on her face. "She talked about that."

"Well, I think she felt she owed me. She'd asked me some questions and I let her touch me," he responded simply, immediately recognizing his mistake when her head drew back and her eyes widened.

"Just the hand, to see if it was different from when you did. It was. I guess she meant something different than you and Mamoru," he explained and, with a deep breath, told Rei everything he'd told Minako.

Rei listened without any judgement, just as Minako had. Jacob was beginning to realize that this group of friends may understand him better than he had originally thought. They seemed unsurprised by voices and blackouts and just all together weird occurrences. He found himself feeling more normal than he had since he'd awoken in the hospital.

"I'll have to think about this," she mumbled when he'd finished. "A warning…"

He watched her as she escaped into her own head, obviously mulling over all he had told her. He was tempted to tell her about the dreams, as well. She would understand, he was sure. She may even have answers or give him the answers she clearly already had.

As he started to speak, however, a _caw_ broke the silence. The crow made a tight circle around Rei once before perching on her shoulder. Rei reached up and gently scratched the bird, "Is she home?"

The crow seemed to give a short nod. Rei smiled and thanked the bird, offering some seed. The bird ate before giving out a grateful _caw_ and taking flight, returning to the tree limb next to its matching friend.

Jacob watched the birds for a moment, always amazed at the way they responded to Rei and the way Rei seemed to actually communicate with them. She hadn't said a word before the bird had taken flight, but it knew what to do. He'd heard whispers about Rei since he'd begun work at the shrine, some that made him want to lash out. Though hearing them sometimes angered him, at times he could understand from where the ideas came. She was beautiful and mysterious, easier to whisper about than approach.

"I'll check in on her later. She saw Phobos, so she'll know it's coming," Rei spoke lightly, pulling him from him musings.

Jacob glanced at the birds once more, noting Phobos was the larger of two. He had more questions about them and about Rei that he wanted to ask. However, he pulled his gaze back to Rei, "Was it worse for her?"

Rei gaged him for a moment, "It was… different."

"They were different?"

"It depends on what she told you," Rei hedged, as reluctant to give up Minako's secrets and Minako was to give up Rei's. This group was tighter than normal friends.

"She said he was a friend… more than a friend. She said that unlike me… unlike Jadeite, he did came back," he responded, reflecting on the anger he'd see in her eyes. "Somehow, I think that was worse for her."

Rei's careful mask broke and she sighed, "It's not so much that they were different from u… from Jadeite and well… me, I guess. It's just that Minako is different."

Rei paused, once again visibly trying to pick her words. Jacob felt it was as much for Minako's benefit as for whatever secret the group was keeping. He remained silent and allowed her to take her time.

Finally, she shook her head, "Minako feels things differently. She… Well, I guess you could say it's like love is her life force. She responds to love between others like she can physically feel it. Back then, it was almost like she exuded it. People responded to it, were drawn to it, and she fed off of that, as well. It was like a source of energy for her. And, when she loved it was… more."

Rei was getting more honest, hinting at something far greater than Jacob thought she meant to tell him. The truth. The difference between her group of friends and the rest of the world. The difference between them and him. While he knew she could be speaking figuratively, he could feel she wasn't. This was the truth. The unblanketed truth.

"I'm not saying that I…" she paused again and sighed. "I'm not saying that I didn't love Jadeite. And, I had my own quirks that made _us_ different. We all did. But, the way that Minako loves is all encompassing. When he came and… did what he did, it was more destructive for her than for the rest of us."

Jacob could see it. He could believe everything that Rei had just told him based solely on what he already knew about Minako. He understood, "It depleted her."

Rei nodded, slowing, evaluating him, "Utterly depleted her. It hurts for me to see you, even if you don't entirely understand it. Jacob, if you think you're ready, I'd like for you to wait around tonight. I'm going to call Mamoru, Usagi and Minako."

Jacob stared at her, not entirely ready to believe that she was _finally_ going to tell him what she knew, what he felt she correctly knew, about him and his past.

-x-

 _A/N: I promise I am finishing this and it IS leading into a series. Next will focus on Kunzite. After, it will probably be Zoicite then Nephrite. Grad school is WAY crazier than I expected, tbh, so I'm writing slower than anticipated. But, I am still here and I'll be working as long as ya'll are reading!_


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